PM, industry representatives discuss development of medical tourism in Moldova

This page has been automatically translated!

The development potential of medical tourism in Moldova, opportunities to attract foreign patients and the measures needed to support this sector have been discussed at meeting between Prime Minister Vasile Tofan and representatives of the Medical Tourism Association.

The PM highlighted the importance of medical tourism as a sector with economic growth potential, which can contribute to attracting investment, developing private medical services and promoting Moldova on international markets.

“We need to develop new engines of economic growth. Medical tourism is a sector that has grown thanks to private initiative and investment and that has a competitive advantage. The role of the state is to facilitate this development, simplify procedures and remove barriers that hinder the expansion of activities,” the prime minister emphasized.

During the discussions, representatives of the Association presented the sector’s development, investment projects and the main challenges faced by operators in the field. The topics addressed included simplifying the accreditation procedures for medical institutions, facilitating the work of foreign specialists, improving the accessibility of Moldova for international patients and promoting medical services abroad.

The sides also emphasized the importance of transport infrastructure and related services, including accommodation and tourism, for enhancing Moldova’s attractiveness as a destination for medical services.

Another topic concerned the removal of administrative barriers. Recently, the Executive approved a deregulation package that eliminates more than 30 unnecessary overregulations and simplifies procedures in more fields, in order to facilitate business development. The government will continue its dialogue with sector’s representatives and its deregulation efforts, in order to create better conditions for the development of medical tourism in Moldova.


Moldovan PM, at Building Moldova event: ''A European country is not declared, it is built''

This page has been automatically translated!

The government today presented 19 strategic investment projects to be implemented in the coming years with the support of the European Union through the Growth Plan for Moldova. The projects target five priority areas—energy, infrastructure, agriculture, education and healthcare—and aim to modernize the country and improve citizens’ living conditions. The investments will be financed through the Growth Plan for Moldova, with additional financial resources mobilized, including from international development partners.

At the Building Moldova event, Prime Minister Vasile Tofan and the cabinet members discussed the main investments planned, the expected results and the implementation stages of the projects.

“We have a historic opportunity—to invest the resources provided through the Growth Plan, in order to improve the lives of Moldovans. A European country is not declared; a European country is built,” Prime Minister Vasile Tofan said.

The PM emphasized that joining the European Union meant not only reforms and negotiations, but also concrete investments that can be seen in localities across Moldova. The government aims to accelerate the implementation of strategic projects, in order to close the development gap with European countries as quickly as possible.

The 19 projects are at different stages of preparation and implementation—some are already advanced, while others are at the stage of technical feasibility studies. The prime minister stressed that the government’s priority was to accelerate the work and complete the investments within the established deadlines: “We want to compress into a few years projects that took decades in other countries.”

In the energy sector, the investments aim to enhance energy security and reduce costs for consumers. Energy-efficiency works are planned for 1,400 homes and 40 public buildings, along with the modernization of Chisinau’s district heating system, the construction of the Balti–Dnestrovsk power line and the modernization of the national electricity networks. The modernization of the capital’s district heating system alone is expected to save approximately 4.5 million cubic meters of natural gas.

In infrastructure, the projects include the construction of the first motorway in Moldova, the development of the Chisinau bypass, the renovation of important roads and the construction of a new terminal at the Chisinau International Airport. At the same time, investments in water supply systems will ensure access to safe water for approximately 700,000 people.

To develop a profitable and competitive agricultural sector, investments are planned in irrigation systems, covering 6,900 hectares of agricultural land, the continuation of the Moldova Orchard II programme and the provision of more than 43 million dollars in financial support for small farmers.

In education, the government plans to modernize 20 model schools, renovate six universities, 24 academic buildings and 23 dormitories at technical vocational education institutions. The construction of Moldova’s first technology campus—HiTech Park Stauceni—is also planned. It will create new opportunities for young people, research and the development of the technology sector.

In healthcare, the investments target the modernization of 10 rural health centers, the development of Balti Regional Hospital and the establishment of a center for managing special waste. The projects will help improve access to quality medical services, including for residents of the regions.

To ensure faster projects’ implementation, the government plans to create a single structure for managing strategic investments—Moldova Project. It will help reduce delays caused by approval procedures, tenders and appeals, as well as improve coordination among the competent institutions.

The PM also noted that Moldova already had concrete results in using the funds provided through the Growth Plan. Presently, 425 projects are either under implementation or completed, of which 177 have been finalized. As many 374 of the total number represent investments at the local level.

Completed projects include the modernization of the wastewater treatment plant in Zabriceni, northern Edinet district; the expansion of water supply networks in Hajdieni, Glodeni district; the renovation of roads and educational institutions in Nisporeni; the establishment of the first nursery for children up to three years old in Hancesti, as well as the modernization of kindergartens in Chisinau. Investments in roads’ infrastructure have also been carried out in the localities of Corjova, Bocani, Clocusna, Sipoteni, Pelinei and Ghetlova.

The prime minister emphasized that projects’ implementation would be monitored transparently and citizens would be able to track the progress of each investment, including the implementation stages and any delays. Information about the 19 strategic projects and their implementation progress is available on the dedicated platform: https://gov.md/construimmoldova/.

The European Union’s Growth Plan, with a total value of 1.9 billion euros, is a support programme provided by the European Union for projects that contribute to the country’s economic and social development, infrastructure’s modernization and improved living conditions for citizens. To date, our country has received 504 million euros from the EU and the European Commission has recently disbursed an additional 157 million euros. The allocation of funds is conditional on progress in implementing the reforms agreed.


New 250 million-euros-worth project in central Moldova settlement; PM: “These are investors who know Moldova, invested here, and are choosing to invest again – on a much larger scale”

This page has been automatically translated!

Prime Minister Vasile Tofan has attended the event on the launch of the construction of a new shopping center in Stauceni, developed by SUMMA and FIBA. The investment, estimated at approximately 250 million euros, is equivalent to around 1.3 per cent of Moldova’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and is one of the largest private investments made in the country since independence.

The PM welcomed the investment, emphasizing that projects of this scale contribute to job creation, the development of services and economic growth. The prime minister stressed that attracting major private investments was essential for accelerating economic growth and achieving the annual 4–5-per cent growth target.

“If we want to grow the economy faster, we need more such ambitious investments and more investors who believe in Moldova for the long term,” said Prime Minister Vasile Tofan.

The PM also highlighted the new shopping center’s potential to attract visitors from neighboring countries and contribute to the development of tourism, a sector that is already experiencing rapid growth: “The challenge is for people from Iasi to come to the mall in Chișinău, not just for us to go to Iasi. We want more and more people to come to Chisinau for a weekend, for shopping, restaurants, wine and events.”

At the same time, the Prime Minister praised SUMMA and FIBA for continuing to expand their investments in Moldova. The companies have previously invested in tourism, hotel services and healthcare, and are currently also developing projects in the energy sector, including a wind farm with a capacity of over 40 MW and an energy storage system exceeding 10 MWh.

“This is what I like most about today’s project: investors who know Moldova, have invested here, have shown confidence and are choosing to invest again – on a much larger scale,” the prime minister emphasized.


 


Moldovan PM, IMF's teams discuss economic outlook, fiscal, budgetary policy priorities

This page has been automatically translated!

Prime Minister Vasile Tofan has met the team of experts from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), led by Alina Iancu, at the conclusion of the evaluation mission conducted in Moldova during October 21-28. The discussions focused on recent economic developments, the macroeconomic outlook and economic policy priorities for the period ahead.

During the meeting, IMF representatives presented updated economic forecasts, which indicate improved growth prospects for the 2026 year. Thus, the estimate for Gross Domestic Product growth was revised from 1.5 to 1.7 per cent, mainly due to better-than-expected results in the agricultural sector. Economic growth of 2 per cent is forecast for 2027.

Another topic concerned inflation developments amid pressures generated by the energy crisis and high prices for energy resource. The sides analyzed inflation forecasts and the factors that could influence developments on the coming period.

The discussions also addressed the fiscal and budgetary policy and the reform of the public sector remuneration system. Prime Minister Vasile Tofan reiterated the government's commitment to promoting responsible economic policies, maintaining macroeconomic stability and continuing reforms aimed at supporting economic growth and improving citizens' living standards.

At the end of the meeting, the parties welcomed their constructive cooperation and agreed to continue the dialogue and collaboration. They also agreed to organize a new mission of the International Monetary Fund to Moldova at the beginning of the next year.


200,000-lei allowances for Romanian language teachers going to teach in Gagauzia and Taraclia

This page has been automatically translated!

Teaching staff who relocate to Gagauzia and Taraclia to teach school subjects in Romanian will receive one-off allowances worth 200,000 lei. A decision to this effect was approved today by the Government.

“We all want as many students as possible to know and speak Romanian well. One current constraint is the shortage of teachers who can teach in Romanian in these regions or work as primary school teachers, so that we can open more classes taught in Romanian. This project aims to encourage teachers from other regions to move to Gagauzia or Taraclia to teach in Romanian,” said Minister of Education and Research Dan Perciun.

The support mechanism for relocating teaching staff to Gagauzia and Taraclia is being established for the first time. It seeks to attract more teachers to the region, reduce the shortage of teaching staff, ensure a high-quality educational process, and improve students’ Romanian language results in schools where instruction is provided in the languages of ethnic minorities.

The allowance is granted to provide financial support to teaching staff who agree to relocate in order to fill vacant teaching positions in the region. The measure does not apply to teaching staff already employed by educational institutions in Gagauzia and Taraclia.

The allowance will be paid in two installments: the first after assignment and employment, and the second after six months of service, provided that the employment relationship is maintained. The support measures will benefit teaching staff who work for at least five years, with a minimum weekly teaching load of 18 hours, in schools in Gagauzia and Taraclia.